Singapore Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon to retire in February 2027 after over 14 years in office

Chief Justice of Singapore Sundaresh Menon will retire on February 26, 2027, after more than 14 years at the helm of the country’s judiciary.

Justice Sushil Sukumaran Nair, presently a Justice of the Court of Appeal, will succeed him, the Singapore judiciary announced on July 17.

Chief Justice Menon, Singapore’s first locally born Chief Justice, assumed office on November 6, 2012 at the age of 50. He had earlier served as the country’s Attorney General.

A graduate of the National University of Singapore and Harvard Law School, Menon became a partner at Shook Lin & Bok at the age of 27. He later helped establish WongPartnership and served as Managing Partner of Rajah & Tann.

His tenure as Chief Justice saw the establishment of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), which strengthened the country’s position as a centre for resolving international commercial disputes. He also oversaw the creation of the Appellate Division of the High Court and the Singapore Judicial College.

Menon led the judiciary’s digital transformation and introduced measures to improve access to justice.

Among the prominent rulings delivered during his tenure were decisions concerning Singapore’s online falsehoods law, Section 377A criminalising sex between men and the death penalty.

“I have given it my best. The time is coming when I will pass this responsibility on,” he said.

Justice Nair’s elevation comes less than two years after he joined the Bench. He was appointed a judicial commissioner on April 1, 2025 and subsequently became a High Court judge. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal on June 15, 2026.

Before entering the judiciary, Justice Nair practised law for 35 years. He served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier LLC and headed its corporate restructuring and workouts practice. He is known for his work in complex commercial and cross-border disputes.

Justice Nair also helped conceptualise Singapore’s COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Bill. He received the country’s Public Service Star (COVID-19) in 2023 for this contribution.